Defensive end could make junior season his last for Irish with another outstanding year

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — When he returned to Georgia this summer, home was where Stephon Tuitt slept and ate, mostly. But around 9 a.m. he was gone, not to return until evening. He did this every day, his mother Tamara knew, because he borrowed her car every day to do it.

What he did in the intervening hours was the business of Stephon Tuitt and a couple of coaches. The residue, however, was specific.

"He looked wet," Tamara Tuitt-Bartlett said of her son. "Like he went to the beach."

Tuitt, the gifted junior defensive end for Notre Dame, was working hard for something bigger. If he validates the stampede of preseason accolades, he will reinforce the Irish defense as a whole. In turn, Tuitt will reinforce the idea that he never will wear a college jersey again after this season.

In the last three years, every Notre Dame player with a legitimate decision has spurned the pros for one more year in South Bend. Tuitt, meanwhile, is an absolute freak at a coveted NFL position who should present the largest challenge to that trend, in every sense.

"With the size and speed that he presents, he's coming along at the perfect time for NFL teams," said Rob Rang, senior NFL Draft Analyst for NFLDraftScout.com and CBSSports.com.

"We're seeing so many teams use 3-4 and 4-3 principles. Everyone is using a hybrid defense now. His size and athletic ability gives him the ability to play in either scheme, and that versatility is going to be really highly valued."

He is the No. 13 available player on the ESPN boards of both Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay. It is something worth talking about: Tuitt and his mother, naturally, discussed the future during his three weeks at home.

Last winter, Tamara Tuitt-Bartlett's stance was clear: Earn a degree above all else. It now may be an order with an asterisk.

"He knows my side," Tuitt-Bartlett told the Tribune. "I mean, it is his life. If he comes out, he definitely will have to get his degree. I don't care how he does it, but it definitely has to happen. I wouldn't want an opportunity to pass him by, but getting your degree is very, very important.

"The NFL is going to be there. If he has a good season, we'll look into that. There's no definite. It's not a definite."

Consistent dominance, and health, will ensure a definite decision.

Tuitt finished 2012 with 12 sacks and a 77-yard fumble return for a touchdown. But that score and half the sacks arrived in the first four games before an injury that ultimately required offseason surgery to repair a sports hernia eroded his explosiveness.

"Everybody knows that was one of the reasons," Tuitt said of the injury. "This season, I'm working hard, my body feels great, and I'm perfectly in shape. I'm ready to go."

His general well-being may eradicate whatever issues appear to eyes at the next level. If there are questions about Tuitt's explosiveness off the line, stiff play or the fact a 6-foot-6, 322-pound defensive end recorded just one pass breakup, much of that could be attributed to the injury limitations.

Irish coach Brian Kelly noted Saturday that Tuitt's work volume nevertheless matches last year's. If his production follows suit, then the junior will be a virtual prototype for NFL defenses, a player that, as Rang says, is "scheme transcendent."

"At his best, when he's in prime condition, I see shades of Mario Williams," said Scott Wright, analyst for NFL Draft Countdown. "I'm not saying he'll be the No. 1 overall pick and be one of best defensive ends in the NFL, but guys that big, that quick and can rush the passer, they're pretty rare. That's a position that is need-proof. Everyone needs it."

"I believe it is the biggest test of that trend," Rang said. "When you play that position, the NFL always is willing to gamble on defensive linemen and pass rushers. It's second only to quarterbacks.

"When you have the size and athletic ability that is clearly NFL caliber, and assuming he has another big season, then with two seasons of high-quality play against high-quality competition, it will be difficult for anyone to be convincing in arguing that any player should return and risk hurting their draft stock."

On a sun-baked Saturday at Notre Dame, Tuitt again flashed the imposing play that could impose upon him a massive decision. During a pursuit drill, Tuitt lay flat on his back, rolled to his feet on command and commenced a jet-propelled close-out on teammate Austin Larkin.

The drill called for a mere wrap-up when tackler met ball carrier. Tuitt, however, drove through Larkin and splattered him to the turf.

"I'm going to immediately get after you if you're bigger than the team and he has been great," Kelly said. "He has handled himself well. He has practiced well. I meet with these guys individually. I talk to them about, my job is to get them ready to win for Notre Dame. We give them a great platform to do it at Notre Dame, and the NFL comes second. They get that."

Asked about preseason accolades, Tuitt shrugged. Irrelevant, he said.

"You still have to go back out there and do the same thing you did," Tuitt said.

So a little after sunrise Saturday, Tuitt took to Twitter and announced his "motivation for today" with an Instagram quote. Two sentences that squared up his intentions for the here and now, that can pave the way for a choice no one at Notre Dame has faced for some time.

Always remember that your present situation is not your final destination, Tuitt's chosen maxim read. The best is yet to come.